US President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Americas Editor, accusing him of “hurting Australia” during an exchange at the White House.
Washington-based journalist John Lyons pressed Trump on whether it was appropriate for a sitting President to be engaged in extensive business activity.
“Is it appropriate, President Trump, that a President in office should be engaged in so much business activity?” Lyons asked.
“Well, I’m really not,” Trump replied. “My kids are running the business… where are you from?”
When Lyons identified himself as a reporter for the ABC, Trump shot back: “Oh, the Australian. You’re hurting Australia. In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now, and they want to get along with me. You know, your leader is coming over to see me very soon. I’m going to tell him about you. You set a very bad tone.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due in New York next week for the UN General Assembly. The two have not met since their election victories, though Trump’s comments suggest a bilateral meeting is planned. The ABC said it had sought clarification from the White House. The administration later intensified its criticism online, labelling Lyons a “foreign fake news loser” from an official White House account, alongside a Fox News clip of the encounter.
Earlier in the exchange, Lyons asked how much wealthier Trump had become since returning to office. The President responded that most of his business dealings predated his presidency, and insisted that his children were managing the Trump Organization. He also mentioned plans for a new White House ballroom, which he said he would fund personally.
Lyons’s questions formed part of an investigation by the ABC’s Four Corners programme into Trump’s business affairs. According to Forbes, Trump’s wealth had risen from $4.3 billion to $7.3 billion in the past year.
When Lyons attempted a follow-up question, Trump told him: “Quiet.”
Australian PM Albanese has been seeking a bilateral meeting with Trump for months. A planned meeting in Canada in June was cancelled when the US president cut short his trip due to escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.